Significance of uppercase or lowercase “B” in Bitcoin.

[Cryptomultiplier]

I only later discovered the importance of either capitalizing the first letter 'b' in bitcoin or not. I couldn't quite decide how to present it in the middle of an essay, attributing it as a noun or pronoun, until recently when I learned the difference.
By capitalizing the first letter 'B' in the term Bitcoin, one simply refers to the ledger wherein information regarding every transaction is stored.
Also, while using the term 'bitcoin' without capitalizing the first letter 'b', it refers to the kind of cryptocurrency used to perform a transaction.

[hugeblack]

Also, while using the term 'bitcoin' without capitalizing the first letter 'b', it refers to the kind of cryptocurrency used to perform a transaction.

It is better to call them coins, or the following example will be clearer:

I use Bitcoin network, and will send you 2 bitcoins.

you can read more here --> https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Help:Introduction

In general, I do not see it as a big problem in the Bitcoin network because Bitcoin blockchain has not an expanded concept of smart contracts, just as in Ethereum.

[mk4]

It's one of those things that the earlier people did kind of a bad job with the naming conventions. But yea, not much of a problem since we can just use Bitcoin "network/blockchain/protocol" when not talking about the asset.

[Die_empty]

Thanks for the piece of information OP but from research I don't think there is any current laid own rule concerning Bitcoin capitalization (I might be wrong). For me just as other currencies enjoy capitalization in sentences, I always capitalize the word Bitcoin regardless of its connotation or meaning in the sentence.  

[webtricks]

Thanks for the piece of information OP but from research I don't think there is any current laid own rule concerning Bitcoin capitalization (I might be wrong). For me just as other currencies enjoy capitalization in sentences, I always capitalize the word Bitcoin regardless of its connotation or meaning in the sentence. 

It is a common convention to use uppercase b when referring `network/protocol` and lowercase b when referring `unit of currency`. People are following this convention for over 11 years. Although, it is not a hard and fast rule but knowing so help in understanding the context of the usage.

If I remember correctly, even forum shows this convention in the ad slot sometimes.

[nc50lc]

-snip-
If I remember correctly, even forum shows this convention in the ad slot sometimes.

You're right, the info is among the "Factoid slots".

I'll just quote it here:

The Bitcoin software, network, and concept is called "Bitcoin" with a capitalized "B". Bitcoin currency units are called "bitcoins" with a lowercase "b" -- this is often abbreviated BTC.

Click the quote's author link to view the "Ad info" page, it's currently at the 26th in the list.

[Rruchi man]

I don't think there is any current laid own rule concerning Bitcoin capitalization (I might be wrong). For me just as other currencies enjoy capitalization in sentences, I always capitalize the word Bitcoin regardless of its connotation or meaning in the sentence.  

Do as you wish, no one will penalize you for it, but the knowledge of this cannot just be overlooked considering that knowing in details is better and what differentiates you that is a member of a forum that centers on bitcoin from someone who just knows about bitcoin. Thank you for highlighting this detail OP, it is an added knowledge that will assist us better in our writing.

[DdmrDdmr]

I confess I wasn’t consciously aware of the distinction until I read through this thread, about a year after joining the forum. A small distinction but that encompasses one of the greatest intrinsic values of bitcoin, and that is that it is not only a coin, but a completely decentralized protocol that largely gives value to the coin itself, and which is the baseline for a whole ecosystem build on top and around this network.

In my view, this apparently small matter of using an upper or lower "b" contains great part of the reasoning that dismounts the "bitcoin has no intrinsic value" argument.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

I must confess that I am getting to know for the first time, but until now and moving forward  , I've gotten so used to capitalizing the first letter "B" in Bitcoin, until now, I never knew that "Bitcoin" and "bitcoin" has separate meanings.
For me, I've always capitalized the letter "B" in Bitcoin as a way of expressing respect for what the coin has turned out to become, just as it is with "God"~with capital "G" refers to the Almighty creator of heavens and the earth, while "god"~with small "g" refers to the smaller gods of this world.

[examplens]

I must confess that I am getting to know for the first time, but until now and moving forward  , I've gotten so used to capitalizing the first letter "B" in Bitcoin, until now, I never knew that "Bitcoin" and "bitcoin" has separate meanings.
For me, I've always capitalized the letter "B" in Bitcoin as a way of expressing respect for what the coin has turned out to become, just as it is with "God"~with capital "G" refers to the Almighty creator of heavens and the earth, while "god"~with small "g" refers to the smaller gods of this world.

I kind of left it to the autocorrect, as far as I have noticed, it is always corrected to capital B. I guess I will pay attention to that from now.
I did not find what the BTC abbreviation is reserved for.

[libert19]

I was like, yea that's how English works, you capitalize letters. Until, read the post and came to know that this is a thing, so thanks.

[nc50lc]

I did not find what the BTC abbreviation is reserved for.

Based from advanced search results:
Bitcoin was originally abbreviated by satoshi as "BC" which is straightforward 'Bit' & 'coin'; he also used it for the unit, but he started using "BTC" after a while.

Some still used BC as an abbreviation for 'Bitcoin' in 2010~11, then BTC for the 3-letter unit. There were also a lot of topics concerning the unit of currency.
But it came down to "standardness", means BTC has been the most used unit and abbreviation.

(IDK if there's an official announcement to use BTC since I can't find any, anyone?)

[Laurendaldin]

It's ashamed to admit it, but I didn't even think about it before. I just got used to bitcoin is Bitcoin, with the capital letter "b." But here is a huge difference, thanks for sharing